Not a Bang but a Scream
by AhhYesItsFangirly
Summary: Yao, Kiku, and Ivan are driving home from a business trip one night when their car breaks down. Already daunted by how very cliche such a setup is, Yao finds himself extremely wary to enter the only hotel nearby despite their need for lodging. Things just get creepier from there, and soon Yao realizes that getting out of the hotel may be next to impossible.
1. Part 1

**A/N: Alright, um, not much to say about this one. Warning for some... theology regarding that afterlife that you might not agree with (but it's to fit with the supernatural theme and all), and minor blood and violence and... stuff. T rating just to be safe, but honestly I don't think the content is very bad at all. Enjoy!**

_With a cast of:_

_Yao Wang – Our hero_

_Kiku Honda – Our hero's brother_

_Ivan Braginsky – Our hero's best friend_

_Francis Bonnefoy – Our hero's boss_

_Arthur Kirkland – The manager_

_Leon Kirkland – The bellhop_

_Alfred Jones – The receptionist_

_Matthew Williams – The housekeeper_

It was not a dark and stormy night. But it was supposed to be.

That's what the weather channel and the newspaper had promised, anyway. But now, rather than dark storminess, the stars twinkled above the highway, shining down and proving that there was not a cloud in the night sky. The car drove onwards down the nearly empty strip of road. After all, not many people were keen on driving so late on a Thursday night. Yao Wang was not either, for that matter, but he did not have a choice. After all, if he did not make it to Los Angeles by Saturday morning he would surely be fired. And he was driving all the way from Seattle.

"What time is it?" asked a voice in the back of the car. Kiku Honda was twenty-two years old and had a look of someone who was always disappointed with the world on his face. He blinked sleepily, glancing out the window, milky brown eyes slowly scanning over the shadows of the trees and occasional billboards on the side of the highway.

There was no given reply for a moment. Finally, an equally tired and very irritable sounding voice responded with, "Nine thirty." Yao gave a yawn, eyes glued on the road ahead of him. Yao was thirty-one years old and felt like life was no longer worth living. He was self-diagnosed with alexithymia, and if you asked he would probably tell you that the only reason he still went to work was due to intense portions of Stockholm syndrome that had been forced upon him. That, and the need for a paycheck.

"You said we could get dinner. We never did." Kiku muttered.

Yao blinked, taking a moment to comprehend this. "Dinner. That's right. Ah… don't you think it's too late for dinner?" His voice was monotone and distracted, and his eyes opened and closed sleepily a few times.

There was a hint of annoyance in Kiku's words this time. "Too late?! Yao, I haven't eaten since lunch. Besides, it's wasn't too later four hours ago… when I first brought it up…" He folded his arms, glaring at his older brother. Or at least, he was raised to believe he was his older brother. They both knew he was not, and their races proved this to be the truth. After all, just because they were both Asian did not mean they were at all from the same country. Yao's parents had not seemed to care, though. After all, they had adopted Kiku from the orphanage without second thought on his heritage. Yao had been eleven at the time.

"Look, when we see one, we'll stop at some twenty-four hour convenience store and get a late night, da?" a voice called from the passenger's seat. This was Ivan Braginsky, a tall, very out-of-place looking man with a big nose and an even bigger smile, which always seemed to be hiding something. Yao enjoyed his company for the sake of having someone powerful by his side. It made him feel protected. After all, only an absolute idiot would ever risk getting in Ivan's way. But in all fairness, he was a kindhearted man, and once you got to know him he was one of the most loyal friends you could ask for. And Yao needed that sort of solidity in his life, so he kept him around.

Yao nodded distractedly at this. "Ivan's right. We'll stop and buy a snack when the time comes." He yawned, eyelids drooping, only to quickly shake his head and force alertness. He could not fall asleep at the wheel, no matter how tired he was. "Ivan, where are we?"

At this question, the large Russian man pulled a cell phone from his pocket. It was company owned and the worst of the best, being high tech enough to send texts and run apps, but low tech enough that getting it to connect with the internet could take as long as an hour and actually getting the texts to send was an embarrassingly slow process. He frowned. "Not working. Map's not working."

"Not working?" Yao repeated, scowling. "Ivan, you are holding in your hands the only map in the car. Without that, we aren't going to Los Angeles. In fact, we aren't even going to successfully leave the state." He groaned in aggravation. Kiku let out a sound somewhere between a sigh and a hum. Ivan remained silent, eyebrows furrowing as he worked on getting his phone to work correctly.

They ended up driving onwards, Yao squinting as he drove in hopes of finding a sign that would tell them where they were or where they were heading. And for a while, they sat in silence. Well, not total silence. It was impossible to be in total silence when three people sat in a car together in the middle of the night. The soft tapping of Ivan's fingers against the touchscreen of his phone, and the buzzing hum of the car's engine, and the occasional yawn or sigh from the car's passengers, ensured at least a minimal amount of sound at all times.

It was roughly ten o'clock when Kiku looked out the window and a frown formed on his lips. No longer where there billboards nearby. Or trees, for that matter. He could not see well thanks to the darkness, but it looked to him as though a long fence ran alongside the highway now, and he thought he could see something that looked like hills. "We're in the countryside," he stated, causing Yao to let out a hum of acknowledgment. Ivan said nothing, but his violet eyes did flicker upwards to look out the window for a moment.

They continued to drive onwards, Yao not seeming to care about their new surroundings. However, suddenly, a new sound came into being. A loud banging sound echoed throughout the vehicle, causing Yao to scream and slam on the breaks and Ivan to jump and grab his armrest. Kiku sat up, eyes going wide with fear. "Pull over!" he hissed, not sure of what was happening.

Yao nodded, gathering enough of his senses to turn the steering wheel towards the side of the road. The car was noticeably slower and bumpier as it made its way to the side of the road and came to a halt. Yao panted, hands gripping the wheel and heart pounding in his chest. "What happened?" he asked, throat feeling very dry.

Shaking his head, Ivan's hands slowly left the armrest to unbuckle his seatbelt. With shaking fingers he grabbed the handle of the door, opening it and stepping outside. The night air was cold, and surprisingly humid, and a soft, easy-to-miss breeze occasionally brushed through his hair. He walked around to the front of the car, inspecting it, and a small frown made its way onto his lips when his eyes traveled downwards. Yao sighed and got out as well. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Blowout," Ivan answered, shaking his head and pointing to the front. "The front tires. We're not driving anywhere else tonight." He sighed and muttered something beneath his breath that sounded vaguely like profanity. Yao heaved another sigh and turned to Kiku, who still sat in the car, and motioned for him to exit. The boy did as told, and soon all three of them stood staring at their misfortune.

It was Kiku who spoke first. "What now, then?"

It was Ivan who responded with, "I'm not sure…"

It was Yao who responded with something actually useful. "We find a hotel. We spend the night. We deal with this in the morning, when it's not dark out and we've had something decent to eat." Oh, this was terrible. How delayed they would be! Surely his boss would get upset…

Ivan nodded. "We're assuming there's a hotel nearby?"

"There's always a hotel nearby, Ivan," Yao answered, rolling his golden eyes and shaking his head. Still, even he had his doubts. They really were in the countryside, and there was not a car, house, or hotel in sight. Yao pursed his lips in thought, staring between the vehicle and the road. "We'll walk for a bit, I suppose. Take a look around. If worse comes to worse we all sleep in the car tonight."

And walk they did. First, however, they went to the back of the car, taking out the luggage they had packed, just in case the car was stolen from or they did in fact find a decent place to go. Ivan's phone, which despite its lack of a working map still did seem to be functioning correctly, kept the time for them. At around eleven, a light became visible in the horizon. And, at this point, none of the lost party was in any state to care what the source of it was. Be it a hotel, gas station, convenience store, or somebody's house, they were more than willing to take their chance. And take their chance they did, running towards the light and finding themselves to have been extremely lucky.

A hotel sat on the side of the road, the lobby lit up along with a sign outside. It looked like an older hotel, with a slightly rundown appearance. A place where you would likely find a murderer, an alien, or perhaps a dead body lying in your bathtub. The sign out front, which proudly titled its hotel "The Emerald Inn", flickered pathetically. One of the letters did not light up at all anymore, and a few looked as though they were just about to fall from the sign altogether. The A in "Emerald" actually _had_ fallen off, and lay in front of the sign with a large crack running down it.

"The Emerald Inn, hm? Never heard of it," Kiku stated, staring up at the sign before allowing his eyes to travel to the front door. Not a car was parked anywhere around. "Is it… open?"

Ivan shrugged, replying with, "The lights are on, aren't they?" Yao nodded, a bad feeling forming in the pit of his stomach. They should not be here, he thought. They should go back to the car and sleep on the side of the road for the night. However, before he could voice this opinion, Kiku was walking forward, towards the front door of the lobby.

"We're going, then?" asked Yao uncertainly.

"It's either that or we don't have a bed tonight. I for one prefer a strange hotel to no hotel." Kiku answered simply, folding his arms. Yao sighed and nodded, following his younger brother. Ivan was close behind them. Soon, the three of them had made their way to the door, which was old and slightly… rickety. The lime green paint was beginning to peel off. Swallowing, Yao found himself stepping forward and opening the door. There was a creaking sound, and the three stepped inside. They were presented with what Yao thought was possibly the strangest place he had ever seen.

It was nice, actually, despite the look of the front. A chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling, made up of bright, polished silver with little dangling lights that brightened the room nicely. The floor was older, and cracked, but the pretty marble patterns on it made up for it and helped the oldness blend in. The walls were made of wood, and, to the right-hand corner, was a desk. Behind the desk a younger boy stood, his hair a golden brown color and his bright sapphire eyes hidden behind glasses. As far as age went he was probably just a few years younger than Kiku. When he became aware of the presence of the new guests, he blinked, staring at them as though he did not quite believe his obviously visually-impaired eyes.

"Ah… hello," Yao greeted, when he decided the awkwardness had gone on long enough. He smiled slightly and walked over to the boy. He wore a dark black and grey outfit that he assumed was some sort of uniform, seeing as it had a dark green emerald in the center that seemed to fit the hotel's title. Clipped to the front of his shirt was a small nametag which read "_Alfred Jones_" on it. Yao decided it was safe to assume that this boy's name was Alfred, and he worked here. "Hello," he said again, waiting for an answer.

The boy cleared his throat. "Er… hi!" he said, forcing a smile as he stared nervously at the newcomers. "Can I help you? You three look kinda… lost."

Yao nodded, his own smile just a bit more natural than the boy's. "We are rather lost, I'm afraid." he replied, trying to keep his tone casual. The boy was acting strange, definitely. He was probably just shy, he told himself. "Do you have any open rooms? We'd like to spend the night, if that's possible. A room with multiple beds would be preferred." He was not at all keen on sharing a bed with Ivan (or Kiku, for that matter, but at least they were siblings).

Alfred blinked. "A… room? You want to spend the night _here_?"

"Ah… yes?"

This reply was answered with an uncertain look and a slow, hesitant nod. "We have a few open rooms, yeah. One of 'em has two beds and a fold out couch, if that works?"

Well, this was good. And odd, Yao thought. Odd was definitely a fitting adjective. But more importantly, it was good. They had found a hotel, with an open room, with enough beds. This would work. Tomorrow, they could walk back to the car, call a tow truck, and get this whole mess sorted out. "Well, that's great. We'll take it."

Alfred cleared his throat and let his eyes wander over Ivan and Kiku before directing his gaze to Yao once more. "We prefer that our guests pay in advance here," he stated, tone sounding awkward. "Hotel policy."

Pay in advance? Yao sighed and pulled his wallet from his back pocket. "Do you take credit cards?" he asked. He did not understand the point of it, paying now rather than later. But he supposed it was not too big of a deal. After all, it was not unheard of, paying for your room before staying in it, right?

As Yao sorted out the business with the credit cards and paying in advance for a night, Ivan and Kiku discussed what they were planning quietly. Kiku expressed his dislike of small, unknown hotels like this (and was rather obnoxiously loud while doing so), saying he could never trust them and always worried that something might happen. Ivan commented on the interior of the place, the design, and how very odd the title was. The Emerald Inn, he told the Japanese boy, was by far the strangest place he had ever stayed in.

Soon, Yao had sorted that business out, and walked back over to his companions holding a room key and receipt. "We're staying the night," he explained with a sigh. "Tomorrow we can sort out the car, and then… I guess we'll leave for LA in the morning, once we're able to get on the road aga-"

"Can I take your bags?"

Yao whipped around, eyes going wide with surprise as he found himself staring at an even younger boy, this one probably no older than sixteen. He wore the same uniform as Alfred, but on his tag the words "_Leon Kirkland_" could be seen. He was an odd looking boy, with dark brown hair and golden eyes and eyebrows just a bit thicker than his own. His skin was a milky, exceptionally pale color. "Can I take your bags?" he repeated again, holding a hand out this time.

Taking a moment to process this, Yao nodded, handing the luggage to the boy, who easily took all of it. "Thank you," Yao replied. Leon answered with nothing but a vague nod as he turned around to face the back of the lobby, which split off into two hallways, each hall leading to a different row of hotel rooms. "We're in room sevent-"

"I know."

Surprised by the terseness of the boy, Yao huffed softly as he followed him down the right hallway, Ivan and Kiku close behind. He led them to a door labeled with a bright green seventy-two, which he moved to the side of. Yao walked forward, unlocking the door with the room key he had been given, before stepping aside and allowing Leon to enter. Yao followed, with Kiku and Ivan entering last. The room was strange, Yao thought immediately, looking around. The walls were strange enough on their own, patterned with stripes of an aquamarine color. The room was divided into two parts, one being something like a small living room, with a couch, television, and refrigerator, and the other being the bedroom, with two small beds and a table and lamp. A bathroom with a small tub was in the back.

Leon walked into the bedroom area, setting the luggage down beside the bed and turning back to the guests. Much to Yao's surprise, when he spoke again, he sounded much friendlier. "So, how'd you guys get all the way out here, anyway?" he asked with a chuckle. "We don't see… people like you come here often."

It was Ivan who spoke up, sitting down on the end of the bed. "Why not? This place seems nice enough…"

"You're about an hour and a half off the main road," Leon explained, giving a frown as he seemed to be wondering how they were unaware of this information. "Not many people actually drive past us, and those who do usually have somewhere to be. Or… are really, really lost." He chuckled once more, amber eyes rolling. "I'm guessing you guys are the latter?"

Yao nodded. "You could say that," An hour and a half off of the main road… the thought made a pit of hopelessness form in his stomach, and he sighed. "What is this place, anyway? The Emerald Inn… I've never heard of it, or seen anything quite like it." It was so very, very odd. Not to mention the hard-to-find location. It was as though they didn't want guests!

"It was Dad's idea. Moving out here, I mean. Building this place."

"Is your father here, then?"

Leon smiled brightly. "Oh, yes! He's the manager. He owns the hotel." The boy explained. "He… doesn't like people very much, though, so you might not see him. He likes locking himself in his room…" An awkward chuckle left him, and Yao found himself raising an eyebrow. If he didn't like people, why on earth would he build a hotel? It seemed strange. But then again, everything about this place seemed strange.

After a moment of silence, Yao murmured, "Well, thank you for taking our luggage, Leon."

Shaking his head, Leon made a waving gesture. "It was nothing. It's my job, after all!"

"Leon!"

A voice resounded from the hallway, making the boy jump with surprise. Before he could explain, footsteps could be heard, and in the doorway stood the strangest looking man Yao had ever seen.

He would probably call him _posh_. His hair was short and blond, and his eyebrows were even thicker than Leon's. He wore a suit similar to the ones Alfred and Leon had on, but it seemed to be made of finer material, and slightly brighter. His lips were pursed with a holier-than-thou look to them. And, most noticeably of all, he had the brightest emerald eyes Yao had ever seen.

When the man spoke, his words were said with a crisp, slightly bitter, British accent. "Leon, what are you doing here?"

The boy shrunk a bit, a nervous smile playing over his features. "H- Hey, Dad. We have… guests."

The man nodded, looking around for a moment, seemingly studying Yao and his companions. There was an accusatory look on his face now. "I can see that," he replied tersely. "But that doesn't answer my question. What on Earth are you doing here? It's late, you should be resting, not talking to some travelers."

Leon sighed and turned to Yao. "This is my father, Arthur Kirkland. He runs the place."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Leon, come on!" he snapped, turning to exit. Leon nodded and walked forward, an exasperated, embarrassed look on his face.

Feeling bad, and slightly confused, Yao stepped forward, towards the boy. He held a hand out to him. "Thank you again for your help," he called awkwardly. He watched Leon stare at his hand nervously, before simply nodding and turning back to face his father. Yao frowned. Nothing else was said but a brief goodnight as Leon followed his father out of the room and down the hallway.

Once they were gone, Yao turned to Kiku and Ivan. "I don't like this place," he stated bluntly, shaking his head.

Ivan gave Yao a curious look, raising an eyebrow. "Why not?" he asked. "I don't mind it at all. It is a bit strange, yes, but it's fine."

With an exasperated sigh, Yao argued, "It's so weird, Ivan. The way they're acting, like they… they don't want us here or something. And Arthur Kirkland… what about him? Did Leon say he locks himself in his room? Why? Why would he build the hotel at all? And Leon wouldn't even shake my hand! Wh- what's wrong with this place?"

It was Kiku who spoke up, and his tone was soft and thoughtful. "I don't like it either, Yao. But it's not that bad, right? And we've already paid, so there's no use in leaving now." He sighed and walked over to the foldout couch. "I'll sleep here. You and Ivan can have the beds." He turned, noticing the look of discomfort still on Yao's face. "Alright, look, we'll leave as soon as we can tomorrow. But for now we really don't have another choice. And I do think this place is weird, but at least it's not… dangerous, right?"

Yao was unsure of this. What if it _was_ dangerous?! It certainly had the potential to be… He swallowed nervously. "A- Alright, Kiku." He glanced to Ivan, who shrugged. He was outnumbered, he thought. Kiku and Ivan both believed this place to be safe. Creepy, but safe. He was probably just being silly… "I… I'm going to put on pajamas," Yao decided after a moment of silence.

He walked away, to the bedroom area, and opened the bag of luggage that his clothing was kept in. Ivan and Kiku looked away as Yao pulled out his silky red nightclothes and walked to the bathroom, where he closed the door and began to change. "I think we should get some rest!" he called quietly from behind the door. "It's late and tomorrow looks like it's going to be pretty busy."

Before an answer could be given, Yao heard footsteps coming down the hallway. He paused, half naked, and listened intently. It was probably just a guest, he thought. But… there was something very ominous about those footsteps. They sounded… wrong. Lighter than a normal human's would be, as though just barely tapping against the floor, all but hovering. Before he could say anything, ask who was approaching, he heard someone say,

"Hey, you're the new guests, hm?"

The voice seemed to match the footsteps perfectly. It was light and airy and seemed as though it were about to just… drift off, like a stray vapor of steam. Yao blinked, momentarily _extremely _distracted by it, before remembering what he had been doing and quickly buttoning the front of his nightshirt.

The voice spoke again, "You've found everything to your liking so far, right?"

Did this person work here? Yao frowned, all but pressing his ear to the door. The newcomer was so quiet it was almost hard to hear him speak at all. Kiku replied with, "Yes, it's very nice. … Ah, if you don't mind my asking, who are you?" Yao leaned forward eagerly, wanting this information quite a bit.

"Matthew Williams. I'm the housekeeper here." There was a pause in which Yao took a moment to pull his pants up. He wondered what exactly what was going on out there, and considered going out to look at the stranger. However, when Matthew spoke again, Yao decided to wait until he finished. He did not want to interrupt him, after all. There was something about the other that… disturbed him, for lack of a better term. "Sorry for intruding like this. It's just… we don't have guests very often. Not guests like you guys, anyway. I… was just rather curious is all."

At the pause, Yao took his chance, opening the door and stepping out. His eyes immediately fell upon the housekeeper. He was skinny, with an outfit that almost resembled a dress, being long and flowy and black. Around his neck was a necklace with a small emerald at the end, shiny and polished. The dim light of the room reflected off of it, causing it to glow. But that was not what kept Yao's attention. It was his _eyes_. They were a deep violet color, and for a moment Yao felt totally lost in them. In fact, he was so lost that he did not even realize he was staring so impolitely until Kiku said, "Funny, Leon said something really similar."

Matthew blinked. "Leon was here?"

"Yes," Kiku responded, looking equally confused.

For a moment, Yao was certain that necklace glowed just a bit brighter. Matthew sighed, but did not say anything else on the subject. Instead, much to Yao's surprise, he smiled and said, "What are your names, by the way? Like I said, we don't have guests like you very often. I'd love to get to know you a bit!"

What in the world did that mean?! Guests like _you_? Yao frowned, staring for a moment. Besides, it was awfully… sudden, asking for information like this. For a moment paranoia struck the Asian man, but he forced it down. "Yao Wang," he answered. "My name is Yao and this is my brother, Kiku." He nodded towards the other, who smiled politely. "And Ivan here is my friend and co-worker. Ah, we're all… well, we're all _supposed_ to be on a business trip."

Matthew nodded, those mesmerizing eyes traveling between the three. "Well it's nice to meet all of you. If you need anything, let me know, alright?" Suddenly, he pursed his lips and stared at Yao intently. "Business trip… Did your car break down or something?"

Yao sighed and nodded. "Yes, it did. We're pretty far down the road… We walked around for a bit and when we found your hotel we were, ah… more than eager to spend the night here rather than in a blown out car." He chuckled awkwardly, an odd feeling rising in his chest as he stared at the strange housekeeper.

For a moment Matthew went silent, his piercing amethyst eyes traveling around the room. "There's a convenience store about a mile away," he murmured. "It has food, maps, and access to an easy way to order a tow truck. I know it's rather late, but you guys could walk down there now? Make tomorrow a bit easier. A- Assuming you plan to try to fix your car tomorrow…"

There was silence. A long, drawn out silence. All of them wanted out of the hotel. But at the same time, none of them wanted to… walk for a mile in the middle of the night. What was worse?! Slowly, Ivan stepped forward. "Alright, fine. I will go." he smiled grimly, giving Yao a look as though silently telling him he owed him for this. Yao smiled back encouragingly.

Matthew smiled as well, although his seemed… creepier, to Yao at least. Darker. Filled with something he could not quite place. "Great! Come with me, I'll give you directions and make sure you get out safely and such." He began to walk to the door, where he stopped and turned again, "Oh, ah, the phone is down the hallway to the right, if you want to call anyone for any reason."

Yao blinked. Ivan left. Kiku stood beside him. Matthew was gone. He took a moment to process it, to figure out what was even going on. Then, slowly, everything clicked into place. He made a mental list of things to do now. Had Matthew mentioned a phone? A phone was good. He would call his boss, tell him about the delay. Then… he would wait for Ivan to return.

"Is Ivan safe?" a voice suddenly asked. It was Kiku. Yao was snapped from his thoughts, and he stared, unblinkingly, at the other, mind not quite processing things right.

"Yes, he's fine." Was he? Yao pursed his lips, thinking for a moment. Ivan was not exactly the brightest man he had ever known, but he was strong. And he had a sort of… sixth sense. Like a dog. Ivan was a lot like a dog. "I wouldn't worry." They were probably in much more danger here, in this hotel, Yao thought grimly.

Kiku nodded and sat down on the bed. "Odd place," he mused, looking around.

"Understatement." Yao scoffed, placing his hands on his hips. He wet his lips, golden eyes traveling around the hotel room as if searching for something. Searching for familiarity. For something he recognized in this huge jumble of jewels and chandeliers and pale teenagers. "I need to call my boss."

At this, Kiku sighed. "I'll wait here and get ready for bed." he decided.

Yao nodded and walked to the door of the room. "I'll be back soon!" he called, exiting. The second he left the room and walked out into the hallway, however, he instantly regretted it. It was dark. The lights had been turned off. Upon bringing his hand to his face, he found he could hardly even see half of a foot in front of him. The hallway felt lonely. Desolate, even. He swallowed. Where was the phone? He thought over Matthew's words… To the right. The phone was down the hallway to the right. With a smile, Yao walked, all but blindly, down the hall, his eyes occasionally wandering in hopes of seeing something that looking something like a phone. Something like _anything_.

But there was nothing. Nothing but the embarrassingly loud _clunk, clunk, clunk, clunk_ of his own footsteps. He swallowed, which also sounded embarrassingly noisy. Someone was going to yell at him for making too much noise or something, he thought nervously. He walked onwards, _clunk, clunk, clunk_.

And then, he hit something. Quite literally ran into something. Nearly shrieking, Yao jumped back, eyes taking a moment to adjust. A figure slowly appeared in his vision. No… an item. On a table. He squinted, then his eyes went wide. The phone! He grabbed the item, picking it up and putting it to his ear. A faint, electric buzzing could be heard. Scrambling around a bit, his hands found the buttons on the table, each one a different number, carved lightly into little squares that were raised up just high enough to press down, hard and rubbery beneath his fingers. He touched them for a moment, trying to remember his boss's number. Damn Ivan, he thought, bringing the only phone with him. He had not even thought of it until now…

Fingers running over each button, making sure he had the right number, Yao began to enter in the phone number. Then, he waited, the buzzing growing louder. Anxiety filled his stomach for reasons he was unsure of, as if the stress of waiting was just too much to bear on top of all else that had happened so far tonight.

Then, much to Yao's relief, the humming buzz of the phone stopped, and a very tired voice with a thick French accent asked, "Th- This is Francis Bonnefoy. Who is this? Why in the world would you call me at this hour?"

Oh. Yao's eyes suddenly went wide. He had not realized how very late it was… He had probably woken him up. Dammit. Yao swallowed, a weak, almost hysteric chuckle leaving him. "It's Yao Wang, sir." he mumbled, mind racing. "I need to talk to you."

"It better be urgent!" the Frenchman immediately replied. "What do you want, Yao? You should be on the road, oui?"

Yao chuckled again, eyes darting around the dark hallway nervously. "About that, ah… the car broke down on the side of the road. We're spending the night at a hotel. Ivan's already gone out to get a pickup for the morning, but until then we're stuck here.

There was silence. Yao's heart all but slammed against his chest, nervousness forming in the pit of his stomach again. Was Francis mad?! He hoped not… The Frenchman spoke again, sounding exasperated. "Where are you staying?"

"What?"

"What hotel are you staying at? It's company policy to keep track of this sort of thing. Where are you?"

Oh. That wasn't too hard of a question. No risk of being fired… Still, Yao stammered slightly as he replied with, "Th- The Emerald Inn. It's… a smaller place about an hour off of the main road. Don't know much about it. Seems nice enough, though." Alright, that was not completely true. Quite honestly, he found this place to be terrifying. But Francis needn't know that.

Francis was quiet for a terribly long while. A bit of shifting could be heard, and some tapping, and it suddenly clicked in Yao's mind that he was getting out his computer. Searching the hotel up, he figured. Then, he let out a confused sigh. "Only one search result," he muttered, tone both annoyed and curious. Yao swallowed, wanting to know more. "Ah… someone's personal blog. Says they… they stayed there while traveling between Portland and Seattle a few years ago and-" Francis' words were distorted and cut off by static.

Yao frowned. "What? I didn't quite catch that." Again, Francis' words were inaudible, cut off by a loud humming sound from the phone. "Sorry, we're breaking up. Think you could repeat that one more time…?" His efforts were proven fruitless for a third time. And then, the humming stopped, as did Francis' voice, and Yao was left in total silence. The phone had cut off. Panicking slightly, Yao redialed the number. However, he got no response. No hum or buzz or ring or the familiar voice of his boss. Just _silence_. The phone was dead.

Extremely unsettled, Yao set the phone down. Maybe the phones turned off after a certain time each night? Or… something was wrong with the power? He was not sure, but he had a bad feeling about his current location. _Get back to the room_, a voice seemed to tell him. _Find Kiku, stay with him until Ivan gets back._Yes, that sounded like a good plan.

Yao hurried down the hallway, stumbling over his own feet. He was shaking slightly, he realized. He could hardly see, and his panicking nerves were not helping one bit. Where was his room?! It would be the one with the light on, obviously. They really were the only guests here, weren't they? He whimpered and walked on. Finally, he found it. Behind the door, which was closed, the lights could faintly be seen. Squinting, he leaned forward, and did indeed find the bright seventy-two on the door. "Kiku!" he called, knocking on the door.

No answer.

Eyes glancing up to the door, Yao again read over the numbers. It… was his room, right? "Kiku!" he called again. Had he fallen asleep, maybe? "Kiku!" his voice grew louder, and he realized his hands had clenched into fists. He grabbed the doorknob, pulling on it desperately. Wait, room key. Terrified now, Yao's trembling hands moved to his pants, and more terror filled him. The bathroom! The room key was in the bathroom, in his pocket. It had been in his pockets when he had changed into pajamas…

"Kiku!" Yao all but screamed. He slammed against the door with his entire body now, desperate to get his brother's attention. He stayed there for a moment, leaning against the door, trembling with fear and worry and confusion. Ivan was gone. Francis was gone. Kiku was gone. He did not even have way to get into his own room…

He probably looked pathetic, he thought after a moment. It was the middle of the night and he was in a strange hotel completely alone. He sniffled, blinking a few times and standing upright. What now? Should he just wait here for Ivan to return? Or keep trying to get inside? No. He had to find someone who worked here. Leon and Matthew and Alfred had all seemed friendly enough. They would be able to explain what was going on. Definitely.

Yao's feet began to move, carrying him down the hallway in the opposite direction, near the lobby. Would Alfred still be out? It was awfully late, but… he had been out earlier, and it had been late then, too. It was worth a shot. However, as he got closer to the lobby, he found no sign of light. The chandelier was no longer on, he realized, remembering how grand and bright it had been upon first entering. He looked around, the large, empty room feeling very… full. Thick, almost, as though something invisible was surrounding him, breathing in all of the air, slowly suffocating him. Yao whimpered.

"H- Hello?" he called. His voice echoed around him, a series of_ hello, hello, ello, lo, lo, lo_ surrounding him, causing him to jump. His eyes wandered around again, and from the corner of his eyes he noticed something sparkle faintly. Yao turned, eyes landing on an odd blue material he had never quite seen anything like before. It lay on the ground, scattered, looking almost like water and almost like dust and almost like mist, shining and twinkling.

Kneeling down, Yao extended a hand towards the odd substance. His fingers met it, but he found that that it had no actual feel to it. But that didn't make any sense… He pursed his lips, fingers running over the odd stuff, touching it. No, nothing. Just… the floor. Was he imagining it? Odd, it was like it wasn't really there…

"What are you doing?!" a voice suddenly hissed. Yao screamed and jumped up. He looked around. Who's voice was that?! Where had it come from?! Before he could say or do anything, it spoke again, loud and menacing. "Get out! You don't belong here!"

Yao looked around, panicking and terrified and wondering what was going on. Was this some sort of practical joke? Maybe Kiku was up to something? He looked around, ignoring the odd sparkling stuff to try to find out what was going on. He should run. Get out of the hotel. But… Kiku was still here, right? And Ivan would return soon. He couldn't just leave them! "Who are you?" he ended up calling out, his words echoing around him. He trembled, eyes searching desperately for… _anything_.

"Foolish human. Get out! Get out! Get out!" The voice began to repeat the words, a chaotic mantra of _get out_ that caused Yao to shriek and cover his ears. He looked around, the world suddenly blurring around him. "GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!" the voice repeated, surrounding him, binding him to the spot he stood. He looked around desperately, trying to leave, but feeling as though everything was suddenly crashing down upon him.

And then, there was darkness.


	2. Part 2

When Yao woke up, he found the words _get out_ echoed around him, as if etched in his mind forever. He sat up, vision blurry. Where was he? He looked around, eyes tired and aching. It was dark… very dark. Were there any lights on? Yes, to the left, over there… a lamp, he thought. A small lamp. Glowing green. Wait, that wasn't a lamp. It was… it was…

"Oh, good morning!"

Matthew. Matthew's jewel. The emerald that had been hanging around his neck. As the housekeeper drew nearer, Yao noticed that the jewel was _glowing_. It was the brightest green he had ever seen, illuminating the whole room in a sickly green glow, tinting him with an emerald hue. He swallowed, staring, wondering what exactly was going on. Was he dreaming…? "M- Matthew?"

The housekeeper smiled brightly, and Yao was certain that the emerald glowed just a bit brighter than before. "I'm awfully sorry about Kiku and Ivan." he purred, voice quiet and whispery, and yet filled to the brim with an odd cheeriness. "And I didn't mean to give you such a fright, either! But humans aren't supposed to touch the dust. I did it for your own good."

Yao's mind was hazy, and he struggled to process these words. He stared blankly at the other, trying to figure out what he meant, confused and scared. "Kiku and Ivan…?" The words finally began to sink in, and dread filled him to the core. "Wh- Where are they?"

"They're fine. By now they've probably reached the Gate."

"Wh- What?"

"I didn't hurt them, don't worry. The trip to the Gate is peaceful. Your friends are safe."

"_What?!_"

Matthew chuckled and walked closer to Yao, who squinted at the bright light of the other's necklace. When the housekeeper spoke again, his words were softer than ever and his eyes seemed to glisten with what could only be described as hunger. "You're cute," he murmured. "Cuter than Kiku and Ivan. Perhaps there are better things to do with you than send you to the Gate."

Shrinking back, Yao swallowed thickly and stared. His tongue moved, and his lips quivered, but for a moment pure fear kept him from getting any words out. Then, still shaking, he managed out the questions, "What does this mean? Is this a joke?"

"Afraid not. Now, I'm sure Alfred would enjoy you. Our… _field of expertise_doesn't let us come near humans very often. Not living ones, anyway. I'm sure he'd love a snack!"

"Snack?" Yao moaned the word, terror spreading through his veins, icy and numbing. This had to be a joke. Kiku and Ivan… they had probably set this up. Or maybe the hotel workers did it. Some sort of… late-night-traveler-prank. Yes, definitely.

Matthew hummed, picking up his necklace now, twirling it between his fingers and admiring the glow. "Leon's awake," he murmured, staring at it intently as if watching a vaguely interesting film play before his eyes. "Not sure what he's doing, though. He's been restless ever since you first stepped in here. Probably just excited to see humans." He chuckled as he extended a finger to touch the glowing emerald, ever so lightly brushing his index finger over the hard, shining jewel. The touch was gentle and affectionate, and sent a shiver down Yao's spine as if he could feel the touch on his own skin.

Trying to push down his fear and rationalize the situation, Yao squeaked out, "So what are you going to do?" Could he get away? Matthew did not seem particularly strong… if worst came to worst, he could probably fight his way out. But… now that he thought about it, worst already had come to worst, and he had done nothing but faint. And now, here he was, locking in a room with a psychopath who was threatening to… eat him. The thought made him whimper with fear.

"I'm going to take you to Alfred. He'll know what to do with you. You do look awfully tasty though." Matthew licked his lips, letting go of the necklace and leaning forward, closer.

No, this wasn't okay. Yao did not know what was going on, or whether this was serious or not, but he was not going to risk it. Taking a deep breath, he threw a punch at Matthew, his fist colliding with the other's nose and causing him to shriek with pain. The housekeeper recoiled, clutching his face, but Yao was in no mood to celebrate such a victory. The sound, the shriek of pain, seemed to echo around him. His ears rang and his vision went red. It was nothing like anything he had ever heard before. He was frozen, drinking in the sound, unable to process anything but the loud ringing that now surrounded him.

And then, a hand grabbed his foot. Yao jumped up, kicking his leg in hopes of getting free of Matthew's grasp. However, this did not prove to be a hard task, for the housekeeper let go on his own accord, laughing as he sat upright. His face dripped with blood, running from his nose and mouth. He licked his lips. "It's a shame," he breathed out, shaking his head. "You would've made such a nice snack."

Yao's hands clenched into fists. His ears continued to ring and his vision was blurry, but that no longer stopped him. Desperately, he ran out of the room, nearly running into the door but stopping in time to grab the handle. His hands shook so much that this ended up being difficult, but he did manage to get out. As he ran down the hallway, he heard Matthew laughing, voice breathy and amused and downright malicious. The sound of a madman, he thought.

When he reached the lobby once more, he stopped, eyes going wide. The chandelier was on again… sort of. It was green. The lights were green. The whole_room_ was green. It was as though the whole hotel was reflecting Matthew's necklace, from the lights to the windows to the floor. Everything was emerald. "Help!" he screamed, voice hoarse. "Please, somebody! Kiku!" he screeched his little brother's name, desperate for an answer, knowing he would not get one. "Ivan!" His best friend. Ivan had been his _best friend_. The reality sunk in, and he fell to his knees, sobbing. His friend and brother were gone. He was going to die. He was going to spend his very last night stuck in an old hotel with a psychopath.

The world around him grew blurry once more as tears filled his eyes, running down his cheeks and dripping onto the floor, which was glowing a faint green, just like everything else. He shuddered and heaved loud, terrified sobs. This was it. He was going to die. "K- Kiku…" he begged the silence, begged for his little brother to come back. "Ivan…" Ivan had never not been there. He had relied on Ivan… "Pl- Please…" Where were they?! He _needed_ them.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps was heard. But Yao did not care. Was it Matthew? Probably. Matthew was probably here to… eat him or whatever. He did not care. What was the point?! He could not escape. He could not figure anything out. His best friend was gone. His brother was gone. He was as good as gone too… His body was racked with more sobs.

"Now, don't cry." A hand gently touched his shoulder. Yao jumped slightly. It wasn't Matthew. The voice was older, and softer, and sounded almost… gentle. It was comforting. "I know you're scared. I would be too. But you're going to be okay, alright? It's all good things from here."

What did that mean? Yao was not sure, but the voice was so very consoling that he found himself sniffling softly and turning to face the speaker. His eyes widened just a bit. It was Arthur. Arthur Kirkland, the owner of the hotel. He had only seen him once, and it felt as though it had been an eternity ago, but immediately he recognized him. "Y- You…"

Arthur nodded, breathing a sad sigh. "Come here. I can help you get back to your friends." he said, extending a hand for the other. Yao swallowed, staring up at the Brit uncertainly. "It will be alright. I do this a lot. I'm a professional." He chuckled halfheartedly. Slowly, Yao took Arthur's hand and stood up.

"What's happening?" he asked, voice hoarse from sobbing. He sniffed again, staring at Arthur with fear and curiosity and _hope_.

Without answering, Arthur turned to walk back towards the hallway. He then glanced to Yao, who followed hesitantly, his grip on the other's hand tightening. Arthur sighed and began to speak, "I used to work as an exorcist. Leon and I traveled around the country dealing with tricky spirits. I ended up making friends with quite a few of them. That's how I met Matthew. Poor little lost spirit who'd lost his way…"

"H- Huh?" Was this a dream? Spirits weren't real, were they? None of that was_really_ real. They were stories. Ghost stories. Not reality. Yao blinked.

Arthur chuckled and continued his story. "He wasn't just a spirit thought. I found out later that he was a banshee. The… connection between the realm of the dead and the realm of the living. He stayed with Leon and I. He and Alfred, his friend… Alfred's a fairy."

It wasn't true. It couldn't be. Yao stared, not understanding, allowing his feet to guide him down the hallway but letting his mind drift off into pure confusion. "But… they aren't… _real_, aren't they? Fairies and banshees and ghosts?"

"Most humans say that." Arthur chuckled. "I sure did as a child. It's hard to believe, that we share a world with such beings. But we do, and once you open your eyes to it, you'll start noticing them everywhere." He stopped walking for a moment to look around, a smile on his face. "It's beautiful, isn't it? Matthew's lights do this every time the Gate opens…" Before Yao could ask what this meant, he continued speaking. "Anyway, the four of us stayed together. We were a family. Me, my son, and two otherworldly beings." He chuckled in a wistful manner.

"But how-"

Arthur cut him off, a frown forming on his lips. "Then… we crashed. The car, I mean. We were driving over to Santa Barbara and…" He shook his head sadly. "I made it out alive. And obviously Matthew and Alfred survived. Takes more than that to kill their types. But… but Leon…"

Suddenly, Yao paled. "Is Leon…?" His throat turned dry. He couldn't be… it wasn't _possible_…

"Leon died twenty-eight years ago."

Yao froze, clutching Arthur's hand as if his life depended on it, unsteady on his feet now. A ghost. Leon was a ghost. It wasn't possible. It just… _wasn't_… "H- How?"

Arthur shook his head and shrugged. "He wasn't ready to go and I wasn't ready to let him." he answered quietly, looking down now. "So Matthew… Matthew preserved his spirit. The necklace keeps him bound to this world. Keeps me immortal, too." He chuckled softly. "I owe so much to him. It… it only makes sense that I would find a way to repay his kind for all he's done for my family. That's… that's why I created the hotel."

"What?"

"It's not for humans," Arthur explained. "When I was eighteen or so I discovered I had the ability to communicate with ghosts. So I figured as a final thank you for Matthew saving my son, and as a way to… settle down, I'd open a hotel for them. A place where drifting spirits can come and stay. It's the only place on the planet that caters specifically to them…"

Yao sniffled, looking around. They turned a corner, walking down a hallway he had not been down before. "So why did… why did they try to… to…"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Arthur shook his head. "Matthew's an animal by nature. You have to forgive him. He wasn't trying to hurt you, not _really_. And… Alfred's a kindhearted boy, but he feeds off of life force. He hardly gets to eat anything but mice and bugs nowadays, so obviously a human would have been quite the treat." He paused, turning to glance at Yao, whose face was pale and eyes were wide. "I'm sorry about this, I really am. I didn't mean to get you into this mess."

"It's alright." Was it? No, Yao thought. His friends were gone. He was alone. But… for some reason, he had the instinct to forgive Arthur.

"I'm going to do everything I can to help you, alright?" Arthur squeezed Yao's hand, smiling reassuringly, as he came to the door at the farthest end of the hallway. It was unlabeled. From his pocket he drew a small silver key, which he used to open the door and step inside. It was just a normal room, Yao realized, looking around. Small, homely. It had two beds, which he assumed was for Arthur and Leon. And, much to his relief, it _wasn't_ glowing green like the rest of the hotel.

Leon suddenly burst through the door, eyes wide and face even paler than usual. He panted, looking terrified. "Dad!" he cried. He then turned to Yao. "I talked to Matthew and found out what happened. I'm _so_ sorry. Are you okay?"

Yao stared, shocked, for a moment, before nodding slowly. "I- I think so."

"The Gate is opening." Leon breathed, turning to Arthur now, a nervous look on his face. "Wh- Why?"

At this, Yao swallowed. "What is the Gate?" he asked quietly. "Matthew told me that that's where Kiku and Ivan are going." Could they be… retrieved? Maybe it wasn't too late… "Can you bring them back, Arthur?" If anyone could do it, Arthur could, Yao thought, staring at the Brit with desperation and hope in his eyes.

Arthur and Leon exchanged glances. Then, slowly, the older shook his head, sighing sadly. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid it's too late for all of you…" He looked down. Leon sighed sadly. For a moment, there was silence.

Then, suddenly, the words sunk in fully, and Yao's eyes went wide. "W- Wait. All of us?" Including him?

A frown suddenly formed on Arthur's lips and he furrowed his brow. "You… don't know, do you?"

"What?"

"Poor boy…" Arthur's voice was filled with sadness and pity. Sighing, he walked over to Yao, stroking his cheek with the back of his hand. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I never thought… Oh, I'm so sorry." He sighed, staring at Yao. Nervousness and worry filled the pit of Yao's stomach at this, and he stared back with fear. "You… you've been dead for at least the past half hour. M- Matthew's scream. If you hear it you die. When he screamed out… you were killed."

Ice cold terror ran through Yao's veins. He couldn't be dead! That was insane! He was alive! He was looking around, he was breathing, he could feel Arthur's touches and hear his voice. He wasn't dead! He took a step back, shaking violently. "N- No! That's not true!" he cried.

Arthur nodded. "It is. I'm so sorry. If I could undo it I would, but I can't." He sighed. "But I can help you get to the Gate safely."

"What is the Gate, Arthur?" Yao asked quietly. He had heard it mentioned so many times now.

A new voice suddenly spoke up. "The Gate's the entrance to the afterlife. You'll find rest there." All of them turned and found themselves staring at Alfred. But… he was not quite Alfred, thought Yao. He was glowing. Glowing _blue_. And on his back was a pair of bright, almost even electric-looking wings. And suddenly, the sparkles made sense. Eyes traveling downwards, Yao noticed a path of that odd blue substance trailed behind him. It was fairy dust…

Footsteps came echoing down the hallway, followed by a bright light. Matthew now appeared in the doorway. His nose was still red and dried blood covered his chin, but other than that he looked nothing like he had earlier. He smiled. "I'm sorry," he breathed out, voice soft and whispery again. "I didn't mean it. I just… I just…"

"It doesn't matter what you meant, Matthew. Our guest is dead and it's your fault." Arthur's words were stern, as though he were talking to a misbehaving child. The banshee nodded, swallowing. "Now, the least we can do is see our friend here off to the afterlife to live the rest of eternity in peace, hm?" Matthew nodded again, looking down.

Yao was silent for a moment. He then turned to Arthur, staring at him with fear in his eyes. "I don't want to die." he breathed out, tears forming in his eyes.

"You're already dead." Alfred muttered, rolling his eyes. The words caused Yao to whimper and choke back a sob.

Glaring angrily at the fairy for a moment, Arthur then turned to Yao and gave a comforting smile. "It will be okay. I've seen plenty of spirits off past the Gates. You'll be alright." He took Yao's hand once more and gave it a squeeze. "And your companions will be there too! The three of you together. And anyone else you've ever lost. It'll be nice, I promise."

Yao gazed at the Brit. He was scared. More scared than he had ever been in his entire life. But… there was something about Arthur. Something about the words he used and the way he spoke. It hadn't been like that before. He had been mean and nasty and _posh_, he remembered. But… nothing was like it was before, was it? He sighed. "A- Alright."

At this, Leon's eyes brightened. "That's my job. I'm dead, I can get close to the gates. I'll take you to them." He walked over. "And hey, now that you're dead, I can touch you!" He chuckled, taking Yao's hand. "Can't touch the living." He winked and turned to walk out of the room, but paused just before he exited to turn back to Yao once more. "If you want to say goodbye, I'd do that now."

Swallowing, Yao nodded and turned back to Arthur. His eyes wandered around the room. There was Alfred… he had not known him well at all. In fact, all he knew was that he had threatened to eat him. But he did not seem necessarily bad. And Matthew… he had been the one who did this. He had killed him… And yet… he did not hold a grudge. His gaze wandered back to Arthur. "Goodbye," he breathed, words unsteady as he felt the need to cry form in the back of his throat. He felt Leon place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Farewell, Yao. Have a nice life." Arthur smiled. Alfred nodded and Matthew gave a wave.

Leon turned to Yao now. "We should get going," he murmured. "Come on." He tugged Yao's hand in the direction of the hallway, beginning to walk down it. Slowly, Yao followed, and before he knew it, they were walking down the hotel hall in silence, surrounded by that odd emerald light.

The world seemed to slow around them. Yao's feet moved on their own, heavy and yet so light that he felt as though he could just float up into oblivion. The world around him seemed dull and his body was numb and achy. He was tired, he thought. It was late. He hadn't slept in so long… How late was it now? Was the sun rising? Would Francis worry about where he was? When would he see him again? _Would he_?

"As long as Matthew has my soul, I can't go past the Gate, so you'll have to go in alone." Leon murmured quietly, sighing. "But I'll go as far as I can." They continued walking. Yao nodded slowly, still in a daze, mind wandering to unrelated subjects that were so very far away from the old hotel that was an hour off of the main road.

Then they reached the lobby, and Yao's eyes went wide. The chandelier was on. It was bright, blindingly bright, shining bright rays of gold that streamed down from the ceiling and painted the room with brilliant radiance. Yao squinted, trying to stare but feeling as though it would certainly cause him to go blind if he were to look for too long. Leon smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "There it is." he murmured. "Our own personal entrance to the afterlife." He pointed to the chandelier.

"How do I get up?" Yao asked, his own voice feeling alien and wrong to him. It did not seem to… fit him, he thought. He swallowed.

Before Leon could reply, a voice from the hallway cried, "Wait, Yao!"

Yao turned, and immediately bright green light filled his vision. Matthew came running over, his entire being an entity of emerald luminosity. He looked at the chandelier, breathing a sigh, before turning back to Yao and Leon. "You don't have to do this." he murmured, picking up the emerald that hung around his neck and smiling. "I can keep you preserved, like I do Leon. You'll stay alive, your soul bound to me and keeping you as alive as a dead person can possibly be."

Staring, Yao weighed the option in his mind. For a brief moment excitement filled him. He could live! He could stay alive! But… but what would happen to Kiku and Ivan? They were already gone, weren't they? He swallowed, staring at Matthew, then turning his gaze to the chandelier, then to Leon. Leon, who couldn't touch another living being, who had to spend his entire life living in a rickety hotel, who would never get to grow up and live a normal life.

Yao thought back to what had happened. Who he had _been_. Life had not been worth living, he remembered thinking. He had felt so very… bored with it all. But compared to Leon, he had had so much. He had gotten to grow up and have lovers and friends and family and go to school and college and work and shop and read. Leon had died before he could do that.

"No," The word left Yao's mouth before he could entirely think it through. "No, I want to go. I'm… dead." He forced the word out, nearly choking on it. He swallowed, pushing down the tears that threatened to form.

Leon frowned, tilting his head. "Are you sure?"

"I n- need to be there for Kiku. He… he is my little brother, after all. And… Ivan's just a big baby, he'd never survive the afterlife wi- without me." Yao forced a smile, feeling tears in his eyes but trying to ignore them. "I'm sure, but thank you."

Matthew pursed his lips, and Yao noticed the green glow around him go just a bit dimmer. "Alright, then." He shook his head and sighed, before pointing up to the chandelier. "Just stand under it and it should take you up." He smiled slightly once more.

Swallowing, Yao turned to Leon. "Can you come with me?" He did not know him very well, he thought, but… he wanted someone with him. And if not Arthur, who would have been his first choice with the current people he was stuck with, then Arthur's son.

Leon slowly shook his head. "No, I can't. I told you I can't go past the Gate, remember? Matthew and I have to stay here." He motioned towards the chandelier. "Go on, you can do it. You made it through a night _here_, you can do anything." He laughed weakly, and Matthew rolled his eyes.

Yao nodded and nervously made his way over to the glowing object, which looked brighter than ever now. He could hardly even make out the shape of the chandelier. It was nothing but… light. He swallowed, feeling tears of fear form in his eyes as he stared into that unending glow of what had looked only a few hours ago like a perfectly normal chandelier.

Then, there was light.

And silence.

And for a moment, Yao could do nothing but stare into nothingness. Eternal nothingness. Ineffable nothingness. Was this the afterlife? Was this all there was? He would have panicked. He couldn't spend eternity like this! And yet, he could not. He could not feel. He could not do anything but stare into that bright eternity of light.

"Yao?"

His name did not feel as though it belonged to him, but he recognized it nonetheless. He turned, his movements feeling slow. And then, the light faded before his eyes, and he found himself staring at his brother. His baby brother, who was killed by a banshee in a hotel room. "K- Kiku?"

Kiku smiled and walked forward. Everything else around Yao was a blur, but he did not care. What he cared about was Kiku, being right there, completely… there. "Yao, you're here too?"

Yao nodded slowly, unsure if he would even be able to properly form words. Nervously, he opened his mouth, testing his tongue slowly, before saying in a tone of hesitance, "Yes, I guess I am."

"How'd you die, hm?"

Yao whipped around, finally starting to move normally again, and found himself staring at Ivan. He chuckled awkwardly and stared at him as though he was the most wonderful thing he had seen in his entire life. "Banshee's scream," he replied.

Ivan laughed. "How many people do you think can say that, hm?" He gave Yao a pat on the back. Not the gentle, comforting ones Arthur and Leon had given him, but a forceful, teasing shove that caused him to be pushed back a bit. It was familiar and wonderful and left him smiling with relief.

Yao looked around. Was this it? Was this death? Just him and Ivan and Kiku and that blindingly bright light?

As if reading his mind, Kiku suddenly said, "We waiting for you, you know. The Gate is that way." He pointed towards the right, or at least Yao thought it was right. His sense of direction was absolutely completely skewed. Kiku smiled. "Come on, we should get going. I don't want to wait out here for forever."

Yao nodded slowly, and watched as Ivan and Kiku turned in the direction the latter had pointed. Nervously he followed, walking into the bright light that felt as though it were total endlessness. What had happened?! Just a few hours ago he had been… alive. Driving home after a business trip. He had planned to go home and rest, to sign papers and talk to his boss, to eat dinner with his friends, to go shopping, to get married, to… have a life. All it had taken was a banshee. It gave the phrase "not with a bang but a whimper" a new meaning, he thought. And yet… it had not been a whimper. It had been a _scream_. He shuddered at the thought, now standing still.

Ivan turned back, frowning. "Something wrong?" he asked, beginning to walk back over to the other.

Shaking his head, Yao chuckled slightly, but he felt tears threaten to form in his eyes. "N- No, not at all. Just… scared, is all."

A sad smile formed on Ivan's face, and he turned back to Kiku. The two exchanged glances, and walked back over to Yao. It was Kiku who extended a hand. "Come on, you're with us!" he said. "It will be alright." Yao swallowed and nodded, taking his brother's hand. Kiku and Ivan both turned towards the direction of the Gate once more. "Come on, Yao. Let's go."

Ivan hummed happily. "I wonder what it'll be like?" he mused, looking around.

Kiku shrugged. "We won't know until we get there."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. I guess that gives us a good reason to get there." Ivan laughed softly, smiling. Kiku nodded and smiled as well, and turned back to Yao, who was fixated on his feet. Ivan's expression softened. "Don't worry, Yao."

Yao nodded, looking up. Kiku gave his hand a squeeze and Ivan smiled once more. They walked forward, into the bright, ineffable light, and entered eternity together.

XXX

Francis Bonnefoy woke up the next morning with the strangest headache he had ever had. He looked around. Normal day. Normal sun, normal clouds, normal air, normal smog. Los Angeles was no different than it had been yesterday. Why did it feel so different, then? It was as if a whole new layer of… _something_ had covered the city. No, not just the city. The whole world. Something had changed.

The Frenchman got up. He walked groggily to the kitchen, where he found the coffee he had made the night before. Pouring some into a cup, he then walked back into his room, where his computer was. He sat down at it and turned it on, only to frown and press the power button again. It was dead, he noted. When had it died…?

Oh well, he could check his email later. With a groan Francis stood up again and looked around. Work in an hour. He walked over to the living room and sat down. He needed to shower, but that could wait for another few moments. Instead, he turned the television on. Nothing but dumb sitcoms. He shook his head, annoyed, and turned off the television. He would sit in silence for a bit, he decided.

There was a knock at the door. Francis pursed his lips. Who wanted to talk to him this early in the morning? He stood up. "Coming!" he called, trying to put on his best smile despite the odd occasion. He walked over to the door, opening it, and was greeted with the oddest being he had ever seen. He looked almost… ghostly, he thought, staring. "Ah… can I help you?" he asked the strange person.

Said strange person smiled brightly. That was not the only thing that brightened, however, Francis realized as he looked down and noticed an odd, faintly glowing jewel hanging around the person's neck. "Yes, actually, you can!" he said, voice soft and whispery. "I'm Matthew Williams… Can I come inside?"

-End


End file.
